Kakuzu Returns
In the Land of Demons, at the Shrine Maiden's Palace, ten days had passed since the destruction of the Moryo. Might Guy, Rock Lee, Neji, and Tenten left the Land of Demons the day after the Moryo's defeat, while the other ninjas returned to their villages to report. Uzumaki Hane, however, stayed behind, as this place was suitable for his training.
The Land of Demons has suffered great damage due to the Ghost Army of the Moryo, and Shion has to deal with all of this, so Shion has been very busy these past few days.
Taruho has already woken up. Uzumaki Hane went to see him, but his injuries weren't too serious. However, he still needs to rest for the time being, so Shion gave him a long leave and ordered him to take good care of himself.
Besides handling affairs of the Land of Demons, Shion also began practicing the incantations of a priestess. After ten busy days, everything began to get back on track.
Today, Uzumaki Hane plans to return to the volcano to continue her training.
Uzumaki Hane arrived at the crater, which had just experienced a volcanic eruption. The entire forest had been completely destroyed, leaving behind patches of cooled volcanic rock. Uzumaki Hane went to the Sealing Shrine, where the cave had also been destroyed by the erupting lava, leaving only an open crater with lava flowing slowly inside.
Looking at the desolate landscape around him, Uzumaki Hane felt very uncomfortable, so he decided to renovate the crater into a place where he could cultivate in peace. He had the money himself, having earned a large bounty from hunting in the black market before, but he would have to rely on Shion for the craftsmen. He decided to do it, leaving the Uzumaki Hane and returning to Shion's palace.
Shion is currently handling affairs in the Land of Demons. Because of the Moryo, Shion has been very busy lately.
Shion sat upright in the main seat, her small face tense, intently studying the documents, occasionally frowning. Clearly, the matters were causing her great distress.
Upon seeing Uzumaki Hane, Shion's tense face broke into a smile, and she said, "Uzumaki Hane, didn't you go to train? Why are you back?"
Uzumaki Hane smiled slightly and said, "There's something I need your help with."
Shion asked, "What is it?"
Uzumaki Hane said, "It's the Sealing Shrine from before, wasn't it destroyed by the Moryo? I plan to renovate it and turn it into a training ground. However, I'm not familiar with the artisans of the Land of Demons, so I'm planning to ask you for some."
Shion immediately replied, "No problem, I'll find someone to handle this directly." Previously, Taruho had handled most of the matters, so Shion wasn't entirely clear on the details.
"Shion, my lady, leave this matter to me." Taruho's voice came from outside the door, and Azusa walked in, leaning on her Taruho.
Uzumaki Hane said to Taruho, "Taruho, your injuries haven't healed yet."
Shion also said, "Taruho, look how badly you're injured, you should take good care of yourself."
"I'm fine," said Taruho. "It's not a serious injury. I'm really alright." After three days of rest, Taruho couldn't stay idle any longer. She was planning to come to the palace to help Shion with her affairs when she overheard Uzumaki Hane and Shion's conversation. So she immediately offered to take over the matter.
Seeing that Taruho was like this, Uzumaki Hane and Shion naturally didn't want him to take charge of the matter, since this place was far from the Sealing Shrine. In the end, they agreed to let him help Shion with the affairs, which finally calmed Taruho down.
Under Shion's arrangement, more than a dozen craftsmen arrived at the Sealing Shrine immediately to begin Sealing Shrine reconstruction. Shion also sent a squad of soldiers to help, and the project was progressing quickly; Uzumaki Hane felt it could be completed in one or two months. During the construction, Uzumaki Hane was unable to cultivate in the lava for extended periods, so he returned to the priestess's palace from time to time.
In the Land of Demons, in a forest, Kakuzu walked alone. Kakuzu said hatefully, "Uzumaki Hane, I didn't expect you to be hiding here. This time, I will definitely get your heart as supplies, and I will also use your corpse to exchange for the bounty." As he spoke, Kakuzu exuded a cold killing intent, and a thick bloody aura swept around, scaring away countless birds and beasts.
Kakuzu recalled that day. That day, Uzumaki Hane's desperate Meteor Volcano not only destroyed his four hearts but also severely injured his body. If it weren't for his Earth Grudge Fear, he would probably have died under the molten lava. But the injury he suffered still required him to recuperate for a full six months before he could fully recover. In Kakuzu years of dominating the Shinobi World, Kakuzu had never suffered such a serious injury, especially not from a mere child. Kakuzu considered this a great humiliation and vowed to kill Uzumaki Hane to wash away the shame he had suffered.
That day, Kakuzu left the battlefield and went to the town, where he has been recuperating ever since. A few days ago, Kakuzu overheard people discussing Uzumaki Hane. After some investigation, he learned that in the Land of Demons, Moryo had broken free of its seal. Kakuzu knew a little about Moryo; the enemy's Ghost Army was indeed terrifying. Most importantly, the priestess Shion, with the assistance of the Konoha Ninja Uzumaki Hane, had resealed Moryo.
Kakuzu to find Uzumaki Hane in the Land of Demons, but considering that the site of the great battle was not far from the Land of Demons, it wasn't surprising.
Having almost fully recovered from his injuries and having found the four hearts again, Kakuzu plans to head to the Shrine Maiden's Palace to kill Uzumaki Hane and avenge the humiliation of that day.
Kakuzu arrived at the Shrine Maidens' Palace complex. The palaces hadn't suffered much damage in the previous battle and had already been repaired. At the entrance, several soldiers stood ramrod straight, vigilantly observing their surroundings.
Upon seeing Kakuzu approach, a soldier stepped forward and blocked his Kakuzu, saying, "Who goes there? This is the priestess's palace; ordinary people are not allowed to enter."
Kakuzu looked at the soldier before him as if he were an ant, and said, "I'm not looking for the priestess. Is Uzumaki Hane inside?"
Uzumaki Hane had repeatedly turned the tide, saving the priestess and even helping her seal away the Moryo. To the soldiers, she was the most respected person. Upon hearing that the person had come to see Uzumaki Hane, the soldiers' attitude immediately became amiable, saying, "Lord Uzumaki is currently in the palace. What brings you here? I can inform her."
Kakuzu revealed a bloodthirsty smile and said in a cold voice, "It's good that he's inside." Kakuzu exuded a terrifying killing intent.
The soldier felt as if he were standing amidst mountains of corpses and seas of blood, and he retreated in terror. He quickly regained his senses and realized that the other party was clearly up to no good. He shouted, "Who are you?" and then sounded the alarm for an enemy attack.